Akatsuki StoriesSasori and Shadows
by hissoritenshi
Summary: Sasori is dead, but was he as evil as Sakura originally thought? A life story as told by a friend of Sasori. Note, this is the first but not the last time i will have an original character . First of several stories on the Akatsuki.


**Hey! Enjoy! I can't remember what I was about to type here, so yeah.**

Sakura, after defeating the puppet master, Sasori, was about to join her teammates outside to finish their task of saving Gaara, when she heard a noise behind her. She whirled around, ready to defend herself; however, all she saw was an average sized girl with long, curly, auburn colored hair that was restrained by a black headband, wearing an Akatsuki cloak and ring. Upon closer inspection, Sakura noticed a deep sadness in the girl's eyes and realized that she had not yet been noticed.

The girl crept up to the collapsed Sasori, knelt down next to him, and murmured, "I guess that this deep silence is long overdue. It was postponed a bit however; I guess I should be thankful for that. I'll miss you though; you were always there for me." A tear on the girl's cheek caught the light and startled Sakura. When Sakura was fighting the Akatsuki, it never once occurred to her that these people might have someone who would miss them.

When Sakura started in surprise, the girl's head whipped up and her eyes caught Sakura's. The girl reached inside of her cloak, but before grabbing a kunai, she stopped and looked at Sasori's still form. "Go ahead," the girl told Sakura her eyes a smoky green color, "I won't stop you. Right now, if you want to leave, I won't stop you. There are more important things for me to worry about than you."

"I highly doubt that your leader would appreciate that kind of attitude," Sakura replied, surprised by her calm in the face of danger, "Especially since I just killed Sasori."

The girl's mouth twisted in a wry kind of smile. "I'll deal with leader-sama later. Like I said, at the moment I have other things on my mind."

"If you're so sad about Sasori's passing, how come you won't fight me to avenge him?" Sakura mentally kicked herself. Why am I provoking her? I don't want another fight!

The girl again gave a wry smile and lifted her eyebrows, "I wouldn't act so cocky, girl. I am not attacking you because I am weak; instead I am following the tradition of my ancestors. After a battle such as you have fought, you are tired, are you not?"

Sakura nodded, not completely following the conversation.

"Well, then I shall find and challenge you later when you have rested. It would not be avenging or giving honor to the deceased if I destroy a weakened creature. Nor is it fair to you, the one I plan to challenge later," Then her eyes got a sly look, "Plus, it really isn't as fun for me."

Sakura studied the girl closely, that's when she saw the scar on her face and a few lines that belied her age, about 25 Sakura guessed.

"Why are you here?" Sakura asked, "Did you choose this life?"

The girl studied Sakura with a critical eye then asked, "Do you have a minute? If so, let me tell you my story; I believe you will not judge us so harshly after this."

Sakura hesitated looking toward where her friends had disappeared then sat down looking at the girl warily, suspecting a trap and tensing for fight or flight at any time.

Noticing this edginess, the girl spread her hands, showing that she concealed no weapons before beginning her story.

"To begin, I must start with a bit of background history as well as a brief story of when I was young. Don't worry, that part won't take very long because much of it is irrelevant and therefore would be tedious and time consuming.

I come from a tribe of nomads. We wandered throughout the sand for the majority of our lives, trading with other nomads or villages that we ran across. Not the best way for a young girl to grow up; particularly not one who dislikes travel."

The girl's mouth hinted a smile at this as she continued, "One such town that we often traveled to, because of its size, was Sunagakure. We purchased the majority of our supplies there as well as received the most business; overall a great place for my tribe to stop from time to time.

"Well, when I was there one time, I got lost in the city and was found wandering by a young boy who helped me find where I needed to go and chattered happily at me all the while. Although he was older than me, this boy quickly befriended me and would look for me whenever my tribe went to Suna.

"Many years past, and we remained friends. He shared in my success when I became one of the lead warriors in our clan, the first girl to ever do so. And I shared in his sorrow over losing his parents. We were always there for each other.

"However, one day, my tribe went to the city, and Sasori was no longer there. He left to join some organization; there were rumors of him joining a mysterious group that would be the downfall of all the clans, but no one knew for sure where he had gone. Of course, this made me rather upset because we had become good friends over this time, but what could I do? I resigned myself to the fact that I may never see my friend again."

The girl's eyes clouded over and her face darkened, "Then, for reasons unknown to us, my entire tribe was attacked and slaughtered. At this time, I was filling the position of the commander while his leg was mending from a break he had received several days earlier. We all fought, even the small children and the women who normally would hide while those of us who were trained would defend our camp. Somehow we all knew that we would die anyway, may as well take as many of them out so that we will be remembered as honorable fighters who would not go peacefully to death."

She ran her hand over her face, "I remember waking up, lying just inside the flap of a tent hearing voices. I heard voices outside and I knew that even if I was not dead, I would be soon. Then I heard this voice asking if there were any survivors. The answer of course, was no-but the voice!-I must be dead; the boy who had this voice had disappeared several years ago!

"I guess he was not pleased with the answer for I heard lighter footsteps approaching where I lay, unable to move, hoping against all hope that this was not just some fantasy of my dying mind and that this was not an enemy coming to make my last moments unbearable. The flap was pulled aside and Sasori, looking just as he always had, saw at me lying on the floor, slowly bleeding out from several crippling wounds. A small smile touched his face as he recognized an old friend before turning to a man behind him and instructed him to help me get back to 'the base.' I was scrutinizing him, knowing that something was different, very different, but things started to flicker and eventually went black before I could figure it out.

"When I woke up, I was in a room that I had never seen before; it definitely didn't belong to my tribe, the walls were actually solid! Next to me sat Sasori, who was watching me as I awoke. 'You gave us quite a scare,' he said, 'you almost didn't make it, you were very lucky.'

"'What about my family?' I asked. I received no answer, I needed no answer, and I knew in my heart that I was the only one left.

"Within two weeks I was back on my feet, practicing my training once again and I was offered a position in the Akatsuki with Sasori as my mentor. Of course I accepted, having no one else ever since everyone else is dead.

"One of the things that took me the longest to get used to, as it is any new thing, was the fact that I was now a human puppet as well. The only way for Sasori to save my life was to change me into a being just like him. Fighting is a bit different, but I adjusted quickly, thanks to his help," with that remark the girl's eyes flicked to Sasori's still face and softened for a moment before coming back to Sakura.

"This was two years ago. Since then, I have made new friends; I have a new family who I will still do everything to protect. We all have a bond just as you do with your friends and family. We are not heartless killers like you may believe; just remember that when you think of us. You don't have to like us, just try to understand us. I was married, just as I know you hope to be one day."

"I just have one question: how did you ever fall in love with a puppet?" Sakura asked, not unkindly, just curiously.

"It was quite simple, actually. As a human puppet, we still have our hearts. That is what I love," the girl replied.

With that, the girl rose in one graceful, sinuous motion and turned to walk back the way she came, stopping to lift the human puppet, Sasori, into her arms.

"Wait!" Sakura called, standing as well, "What's your name?"

The girl paused biting her lip, studying Sakura, "Kumori O Nakigoe." She then left without another word, disappearing as quickly as the shadows in her name.

**Well that was a change in tone from my usual stories. I may do others like this, whenever I get around to it. **


End file.
